


Warm Water and Wishful Thinking

by probably_somewhere



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Comforting his space children, Gen, Other, Space Dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:37:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7442899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/probably_somewhere/pseuds/probably_somewhere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PIdge is having a rough night. Although they spent many nights on Earth wondering what happened to their family, something about having been in space and knowing they're out there too has induced some serious homesickness. And who else is there to visit but Shiro?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Warm Water and Wishful Thinking

Pidge’s dad used to tell them that if they looked at a phone screen or a computer screen right before going to bed, it would make their mind too active and they wouldn’t be able to fall asleep. He wasn’t wrong, really, because Pidge could never fall asleep easily. But it wasn’t that the computer screen made their mind go fast--it’s that their mind already went too fast. It never slowed down.

Tonight was no different.

But it wasn’t the usual strings of code or replaying of the day’s events that kept Pidge from being able to drift off. Tonight, it was all the things their dad used to tell them.

Pidge rolled over in their bed and took a fistful of blankets in each hand. Shoved their face against the pillow. Kicked at sheets and recycled spaceship air.

It was no use. They weren’t going to sleep anytime soon. With a deep, frustrated sigh, they pushed away the covers and rolled out of bed.

Pidge padded barefoot down the hall, illuminated only by the lights in the night mode. Here in space there wasn’t night or day, only the timers in the lighting system to govern their lives. Just another thing to make it harder for Pidge to sleep.

There was a light coming from beneath Shiro’s door. They knocked quietly.

Nothing.

Another knock, this time a bit louder.

“Is someone out there?” Shiro’s voice sounded tired. Pidge almost turned away, feeling stupid for disturbing his rest. Lance would never come to Shiro’s door in the middle of the night because of a little homesickness. Neither would Keith. Hunk--maybe, but they doubted it. Again, they felt a pang of guilt--fear, even--because maybe they were acting too much like a girl or too much like a boy and someone would tell them to just _choose_.

The door opened and light spilled out. It made Pidge squint.

“What’s up, Pidge?” Concern creased Shiro’s brow. The tuft of white hair on his head flopped to one side, looking just as tired as the man who wore it.

“I can’t sleep,” they admitted.

Shiro opened the door wider and motioned them inside. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Not unless you have something other than Coran’s space juice.”

He frowned. “I can make hot water.”

“That would be great.” Pidge picked at their fingernails, not sure what to do.

Shiro, perceptive as ever, looked over his shoulder and said: “You can sit wherever you like.”  
Pidge settled on the bed, perched as lightly as if they might need to escape at any moment. They watched Shiro collect a cup and a pitcher of water from one of his shelves, pour it, and use something like an Altean microwave to heat the water. Shiro allowed them the few moments of silence until it was ready.

He handed Pidge the hot water and a question. “Why can’t you sleep?”

Pidge couldn’t trust their mouth to form the words without crumbling. They just shrugged instead, already fighting tears. Shiro sat down next to them and pulled his knees to his chest. Pidge was so used to seeing him as an authority figure that they often forgot how young he was. He had a few years on the other paladins at best, but he’d already been through so much.

“You know,” he said, “you remind me of your brother.”

Pidge looked up from the steaming water. 

“We were in training together, and he and I were at the top of our class. It was a friendly competition, not like the rivalry Lance seems to think he and Keith have.”

“‘Rivalry’ is a nice word for it.”

Pidge blinked, surprised at having been able to speak.It was something Hunk and Pidge joked about constantly, because for the last few weeks the two had been sneaking around like anybody cared that they were together, and it was _hilarious_. Apparently, hilarious enough to shake them from their silence.

Shiro choked on a laugh. “It certainly is. But Matt and I--he was the best friend I had in training. And when we got assigned to the Kerberos mission together, with your father--I was through the roof with happiness. I couldn’t imagine spending months in space with any other people. They were more family to me than mine ever was. Your dad could make that dried food taste so good. I don’t know how he did it. But whenever one of us was having a bad day--we all had our fair share of homesickness, so you’re not alone there--he would volunteer to get dinner ready and we knew we were going to feel better. He had so many stories to tell, and he was so good at it that I would forget where I was. Some of his stories were real, others things made up to entertain us in lonely space. Matt stole one of our log books to write some of them down, but I guess that’s lost on Kerberos now. But your dad--he’s still got them in his head. When we find your family, we’ll all have so many stories to tell.”

“You really don’t remember what happened to Matt?” Pidge asked. They watched a sadness creep over Shiro’s face.

“No,” he sighed. “But I’d remember if something bad happened. Your dad got put on work assignment--that’s probably where Matt is too. And they’re both so strong, just like you.”

“I’m not strong,” Pidge growled. Their father’s stories--they remember those all too well. Most kids had parents that read to them at night, but not Matt and PIdge. The would lay in the dark before sleep, listening to the sound of their father’s voice. Funny, how easily they could fall asleep back then.

“You’re the strongest one of us,” Shiro said sharply. His pose was less relaxed now, arms tight around his legs and gaze pointed directly at Pidge.

They looked back down into their cup. Said nothing.

“It’s taken you the longest to come in here.”

“What?”

“Hunk was in to see me within the first week being out here, Keith a little while after that. Lance still comes in every few nights. Even Allura has been in here because she misses her father--I guess Coran isn’t a very good shoulder to lean on.” Shiro smiled wryly. “But that’s not even why. Being strong isn’t locking away your feelings, Pidge, it’s letting them out in the open. You’re not afraid to be who you are, and some people spend their whole lives hiding because they aren’t brave enough to show others the truth. And Pidge--I hope you never forget how to do that.”

Pidge took a swallow of their water. It was lukewarm now.

“Thank you,” they whispered.

Shiro wrapped an arm around Pidge’s shoulder. They leaned against him and let silent tears roll down their face. It felt good to finally cry, even if it was only a little bit.

“How did you know I missed my family? That I was homesick?”

They felt the rise and fall of Shiro’s shoulders--a shrug.

“Because I am too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on tumblr @probably-somewhere, in response to a homesickness prompt. Follow me!


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